I've been trying to rent a van one-way for my boss to bring his wife and 2 crated dogs to Madison on December 16. Even though I have not mentioned dogs when dealing with the rental car places, I'm unable to find anyone willing to rent a van for a 1-way.

They will be flying in from Germany, so I think a van with a driver might be a good idea. Does anyone have any suggestions along those lines?

Thanks for any help that you can provide......

I had trouble renting a van for a one-way when I moved last year. I asked the guy at the rental shop why it was so impossible, and he said it started b/c college kids would rent them for one-way moves back to school, and the vans would all pile up in one place.

I don't know if this is true for your case, but Madison is a big uni town...

Maybe a minivan instead?

How about trying a U-Haul type place, instead. They will allow a one-way.

Here is a shuttle service:

http://www.coachusa.com/vangalder/ss.ohareairport.asp

Here is their pet policy:

"Pets are accepted only in a cage that will fit under a passenger seat. The cage may not occupy a passenger seat nor may the cage block the aisle. Larger cages may be stored in the ventilated luggage compartments below the coach for a $5 freight charge."

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm between $300 and $500 for the various scenarios that I have come up with, including having someone from Madison drive down and pick them up.

UHaul doesn't rent vans one-way, and they don't want to put the dogs in the back of the truck in December after they've been in the cargo hold for so long already. Neither does Penzey or Budget.

The dogs are Belgian shepherds, which are larger even than German Shepherds. It's a logistical puzzle even I may not be able to solve!

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have, or make any other suggestions. I appreciate your help immensely.

Hey Kimbobb,
Is there a flat rate for Union Cab to pick boss & dogs up in their van?
Your boss probably won't want to drive through the traffic after his flight. With his dogs. Crated OR uncrated.
Good luck.

Van Galder coach goes from O'Hare to Madison, with stops in Beloit & Janesville. Here is their website, but don't know if they will carry pets. But maybe they would have an idea of where you might be able to find a company that would.
http://www.coachusa.com/vangalder/

Who does your boss know in Madison or even Chicago that might be willing to transport them and the dogs up to Madison for a fee?

In the typical logistics nightmare black hole scenario that I find myself in, it is $150 cheaper to drive a van from Madison to O'Hare and back to Madison. I have a friend who would do that, but my boss has now decided the $500 option with the Chicago company picking them up and bringing them home is the best one, given the weather possibilities and the lack of sleep potential.

Charter Bus of Illinois, by the way, Bob is a joy to work with - 630-922-5800.

Thanks for reading and responding.